Connecticut western news., 1887-03-23
A LOST OPPORTUNITY
BY MRS. BARRETT.

upon the meadow gate, looking off into the distance. He was whispering softly. yet he seemed to be in a deep reverie, for his great, tender eyes had far-a away expression in their brown depths as he gazed out over the sunlit meadows where the blood-red clover and the golden buttercups swayed under the soft caressing breeze. Suddenly an imperious voice broke the silence:
 "Mr. Hollaway, please let mo take down the bars. Pm in hurry, and came the shortest way"
 The young man started; he had not heard her approach, and there beside him stood the very object of his thoughts.
 Ah, clover blooms and buttercups, paled were your charms nowl A little, graceful figure in the dainticst of cam bric dresses, and underneath the wide hat sweet, girlish face with velvety, peach-tinted cheeks and eyes as blue as freshly gathered violets. Such was Lily Lawrence, the prettiest girl-so the bop ular verdict ran-in all the country round. A flush rose to Johns sum- Drowned face as he quickly rose and began to take down the bars.
 "Out for walk, Miss Liy9"
 "Yes." very briefly.
 'So you are fond of quiet strollsa l am, too."
 Lily drew herself up, and looked at the presumptuous speaker.
 Really, Mir. HolIaway, don't sec what it is to you"
 Then she stopped. She did not mean to be rude, but truly, she thought to herself, it was high time she should show this young man that his openly expressed admiration was exceedingly distasteful to her. It had been going on for some time, and everyone, even Lily herself, had come to see that the sun rose and set for John Hollaway where she was.
 ''He must be intensely stupid not to know how utterly indifferent I am to him." she thought.
 But John was not stupid. He under stood the unfinished sentence, and as he drew back without another word to let her pass, Lily saw that he did, -and ( shame-faced, compunctious look stole into her eyes. For, from the richest to the poorest, everyone acknowledged John Hollaway's noble sterling charac. ter.
 Lily walked slowly along the road, half determined to turn back and apolo. gize for her rudeness, until turr brought her face to face with someone whose handsome eyes met her own with snch @ glad welcome that all other thoughts were for the time driven com. pletely away.
 It was Richard Blake, the most ad- mired and courted young man in the village
 'Ah, good afternoon, Miss Lawren ce was hoping would meet you" | And the wavy black locks were barred to the breeze as Richard courteously lifted his hat and wake on beside her.
 Whal a contrast to John Hollaway
 And the contrast was great in man, other ways than Lily thought. But tn girl was but young to read character, and that Richard Blake was very hand
 some and very elegant none could deny lover of whom anyone might be justl,
 proud.
 When Lily's home was reached, ant
 with another graceful bow Richard ha,
 left her, she dld not go directly into in , house, but fingered awhile among th flowers that filed their little garden
 Her thoughts were very busy. Sh thought that she had behaved yer unkind to her old friend, and he
 memory went back to the first time sh r had met him. It was at picnic, an r she had fallen and sprained her ankle r She remembered how the great fellow so much stronger than his mates, ha ? persisted in carrying her all the lon
 distance back to her home. Since the
 he had shown In hundred ways wht : she was to him, and knowing his nob ! nature, perhaps her heart would hay ? gone out to him before this if Richar Blake had not come back from colleg : But he had, and Lily fancied his ga e debonair manners, and his entertainir conversation, and like many anoth l young girl, had begun to take for tru e heart deep love that liking which VIC { 8 have for things pleasant to the sight. o And so she shook off her reproachf e feelings, and went into the house. r. "Why, mother, dear, what is the ma ,, teri Crying, and I out enjoying m }. selfa Tell me, what is it, deara Let T l. share your trouble" 'f Mrs. Lawrence lifted face, smilir le through her tears
 y "Yes, crying, Lily darling, but n d from grief. Sit down here beside m n and let me show you what loal b as been lifted from my mind this mornin at Lily, did not tell you, but some tir ut ago MT. Burtoe, the lawyer, came
 me and informed me that ths holder